Prepared for You

Prepared for You

Acts 18: ⁹ One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” ¹¹ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

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“But I’m not a pastor” I said to the group. They were asking me to speak to a group of people in the country we were in at the time. One person said to me “I walked twenty miles to hear you speak.” I was thoroughly intimidated by those words. I spoke and many gave their life to CHRIST.

• There have been times when I was afraid to speak.
• There have been times when I felt overwhelmed by the crowd.
• There have been times when I saw a large crowd that I had to speak to and got nervous.

Paul had faced turmoil in many cities. One night the LORD spoke to him saying “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” This was a relief to Paul, so he stayed longer.

• GOD wants me to hear HIM say “Do not be afraid.”
• GOD wants me to hear HIM say “Keep on speaking.”
• GOD wants me to hear HIM say “Do not be silent.”

Sometimes GOD’s plan can seem quite intimidating, especially when I have tried and seemed to fail over and over. BUT GOD says different. HE sends me to places where there are plenty of hungry people willing to listen to HIS word. I will keep on speaking, thanks to the LORD’s encouragement.

• Are you stuck?
• Are you too scared or intimidated to speak about JESUS?
• Will you allow the HOLY SPIRIT to open your heart and your mouth so you can speak about HIM today?

Rejection Direction

Rejection Direction

Acts 13: ⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
    that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

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Feeling down about not getting the position, I sat brooding at the latest rejection. “I really wanted that last one”, I thought to myself. I mean it had everything I wanted, or so I thought. After a couple of weeks, the sting of the rejection was no longer there. About three months later, another company called and mad an offer.

• There have been many times I have been rejected.
• There have been many times I questioned the direction of the rejection.
• There have been many times I kept revisiting what it would be like if I had gotten the thing I had been rejected from.

Paul and Barnabas were rejected by the Jews, who contradicted them at every turn. This probably caused confusion and their leadership would no longer be effective. Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly saying they would preach salvation to people who would not reject them, namely the Gentiles. Cheers came from the Gentiles, who were probably made to feel like an outcast.

• GOD made me a light for people HE sends me to.
• GOD made me a light to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
• GOD made me a light for those who can hear HIS message of love.

Rejection doesn’t feel good, but it definitely changes direction. No longer is that person, place or thing available. GOD does this to provide new opportunities that I would not have thought of. The HOLY SPIRIT patches the wounds of the rejection and guides me to where I was supposed to be in the first place. I am grateful GOD cares for me to guide me to a better place.

• Have you been rejected?
• Is your message still valid but people refused to hear it?
• Will you stop looking back and see the new direction GOD wants you to go on today?

Finding Affirmation

Mark 6: Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. ² And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! ³ Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

⁴ But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” ⁵ Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

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• GOD says to me “Look for honor from ME.”
• GOD says to me “Look to do mighty works with MY help alone.”
• GOD says to me “Search for those who will believe and focus them on ME.”

Getting affirmed by friends and family is nice but what happens if they reject me? How should I handle it? GOD wants me to seek affirmation from HIM by following HIS ways. HE wants me to have grace for those who poke fun at the way I serve HIM and serve those who flat out reject my efforts to be more like HIS SON.

Even JESUS was rejected by HIS immediate family. HIS neighbors could accept HIM being GOD. They saw HIM as a baby and wondered “What makes HIM so special?” As HE grew up they overlooked HIS deity because HE looked like other humans but HE acted very differently.

• JESUS was rejected by HIS neighbors.
• JESUS was rejected by HIS family.
• JESUS was rejected by those HE created.

GOD has a personal relationship with me that HE wants me to cherish. HE does not need me to ask people around me if my relationship with HIM is adequate for them. HE wants me to have grace enough to not be upset if those around me cannot understand how HE is moving me down HIS path.

• Are you seeking affirmation from friends and family and are not receiving it?
• Are you led by GOD to do something that will grow HIS kingdom and those around you are judging you instead of affirming you?
• Can you ask GOD for strength and seek HIS leading daily without judging them?

Reject Maker

Matthew 21: ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

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Humiliation turned into relief as I was finally picked to play the game on the playground. I was frail but fast. I caught people quickly and soon was recognized as a key player. The next time we played I was actually consulted. “Should we pick ‘that’ person?” they asked. “‘Nah’ let’s get some fast people” I suggested.

• There were times I rejected people.
• There were times I wanted to be on the winning side.
• There were times I my desire to win was placed over my desire to accept.

Instead of bringing others along in the game, I joined in the exclusion. To this day, I do not know who I overlooked because of my short-sightedness. JESUS knows. HE feels those who have been rejected and knows those who have done the rejection.

• GOD made each person special so I should not reject them.
• GOD made each person unique so I should look at each person differently.
• GOD made each person distinct so I should figure out a way to reach their distinction instead of rejecting them because it is too hard.

JESUS was rejected as the “Cornerstone” of the church. Upon this rock the church sits. When I choose to fall on it I am broken to pieces for HIS service. When I reject the use of the Cornerstone, it falls on my feeble plans and they are crushed.

Pastors, preachers, ministers and the priests of the day rejected JESUS. GOD wants me to gravitate towards HIS ways and be broken for HIS purpose.

• Are you rejecting people so that you can fit in the crowd?
• Does your job make you reject people?
• Can you start accepting those GOD sends into your life?

Not Rejected

Matthew 10: ¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. ¹² As you enter the home, give it your greeting. ¹³ If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

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“Come on, let’s go out and witness to people” were words I did not want to hear. I mean why go out and “force” people to believe what I believe, was my thought. Besides, “who am I that they might listen to me?”

• Sometimes I doubt my calling by GOD.
• Sometimes I hide my gifts and talents amongst the safe church people.
• Sometimes “I” do not want to be rejected so “I” hide the most important message.

Rejection feels awful especially when I have high expectations. When I approach someone with the message of CHRIST, I expect them to drop to their knees in tears screaming “I BELIEVE” instead I have been met with weird looks and was once cursed out. This “Spreading the Gospel” thing is harder than it looks.

• GOD wants me to build a community around those who need me.
• GOD wants me to reach out to my neighbor and seek to give them peace, if not for a moment.
• GOD wants me to give the words of peace as a representative of HIM, not me.

Each and every person placed in front of me is worthy of GOD’s redeeming message. I should not be afraid of giving a person “GOD’s peace” no matter how ornery they may be acting. I have to place it in my mind that if the person rejects the message, they are rejecting GOD, not me.

GOD sends me to many. I have to take the challenge out to the masses with love and peace. It will be up to them to accept or reject GOD.

• Are you trying to reach people?
• Do you feel “you” will be rejected so you do not try?
• Can you stop trying to look good before humans and change your mind and heart towards spreading GOD’s message of redemption?

Never Considered

Isaiah 53: Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

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Tired of struggling, I just sat. Bills were greater than pay, car was not working and my grades were suffering. I was exhausted from trying hard and not getting anywhere. Could someone just reach out their arms and pick me up like a little baby?

• Sometimes life has brought me tough times.
• Sometimes life has delivered to me trials.
• Sometimes life has given me prolonged pain that I cannot think my way out of.

I had no idea where to turn or what to do, then something inside said “Pray.” This did not make sense. I had not prayed in a while nor had I considered it effective. I mean could I just pray for X amount of money and get it? I had never seen anyone do that and have it work for them. I prayed “Help me! I don’t know what to do.” I felt peace to keep going.

• JESUS has no beauty or majesty to attract me to HIM.
• JESUS has nothing in HIS appearance for me to desire HIM.
• JESUS was despised and held with low esteem so I did not consider HIM.

I considered the lottery. I considered selling my stuff to get out of bills, but I did not consider JESUS as being an answer to day to day problems. Yeah HE saved me but did HE care about the debt collector calling me? HE led me beside still waters that day. HE said “Keep going” so I did. I truly cannot remember how I was delivered, but I was.

With bills paid and car fixed, I graduated and moved onto another phase of my life. I sought after GOD from then to now. HE has never failed me.

• Are you trying things on your own?
• Do you feel like you have ot do thing under your own power?
• Can you stop trying to carry the load and allow GOD to help you?
• Will you believe that no matter what you have done in the past, you are forgiven by JESUS who took your punishment for you?

Chosen Friends Have No Fear

Isaiah 41: ⁸ “But you, Israel, my servant,
    Jacob, whom I have chosen,
    you descendants of Abraham my friend,
⁹ I took you from the ends of the earth,
    from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

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Laughter poured out of the house as we played the game. Distracted with conversation, the game kept getting interrupted followed by, “is it my turn?” Tears of laughter fell from my face as I said for the fourth time “It’s your turn.” The distractions were more fun than the game!

• Having “Chosen Friends” is a blessing.
• Having “Chosen Friends” is warming to the heart.
• Having “Chosen Friends” is truly a gift.

Friends believe in your cause instantly, no matter how crazy it may seem. They stick with you through thick and thin and do not have to be convinced. Great friends correct my course, especially when I am trying to stray from GOD. The great news is GOD says I am a friend.

• GOD says to me “There is no love greater than to lay down MY life for you as MY friend.”
• GOD says to me “I have called you and chosen you as MY servant.”
• GOD says to me “I have not rejected you so do not fear, for I AM with you, I AM your GOD.”

GOD strengthens me and helps me like no other friend can. HE leads me, guides me and upholds me with HIS righteous hand. It is great knowing I have a friend in my corner who will never leave me no matter how tough things get. GOD chose me as a friend and I am grateful!

• Do you need a friend?
• Have people left you or stepped away from you?
• Can you allow GOD to choose you?
• Are you willing to speak HIS words instead of yours?